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Rachael Ray and her husband, John Cusimano have long been open about their marital dynamics and what works for them — and one of those key factors is timing.
In the latest episode of the Food Network star’s I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead podcast — which dropped Tuesday, November 5 — Ray, 56, spoke with guest chef Jacques Pépin, and broke down the values she shares with Cusimano, 57.
The Meals in Minutes host said that both she and John have prioritized giving back throughout their careers.
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“I love my husband John, and John works with me and has built our business and our brand together,” Ray said, “but we agree in concept about service to community, service to the world, service to animals, to children.”
As they’ve prioritized altruism and service, Ray and Cusimano didn’t get married until their late 30s, because they felt other things took priority. But Ray always believe that it was important for her to have a companion in her husband.
“My husband and I didn’t get married until very late in life, 37 and 38 years old,” Ray said. “But it was very important to me that I marry him because I thought this person could be a true partner in what I believe in and building, not a business, but a community.”
This confession came a week after Ray said that she and Cusimano stay in “separate corners” of the house and occasionally engage in “screaming matches.”
But Ray and Cusimano have often leaned on each other in tough times. Back in 2021, Ray spoke with People about how they made it through after their upstate New York home burnt down a year prior.
“We have volatile personalities but we’re both very practical. too,” Ray said. “That’s the lawyer side of him and the domestic side of me. We’re like, ‘These are the things that must be accomplished today. And we will get to this only by doing what work is necessary.'”
As the two share similar belief systems, their respective careers work harmoniously. In a 2020 interview on The Rachael Ray Show‘s website, Cusimano shared that his legal experience has helped both him and his wife in their fields.
“I used to practice in New York City as an entertainment lawyer, primarily in film,” Cusimano said. “Then I met this one [Ray], and now I only have one client and her name is Rachael Ray. So I just work on our businesses all the time.”
So while they may have gotten married later in life, the two seem to have made great use of their time together.
